A VETERAN MINISTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 8

A VETERAN MINISTER.

■; ; v.-.;;■ ; DEATH OP REV TV. 0 WATKINS. ii&yjißy.t'iclcgraphTPress . ■vit.;- ;■ Auckland, September 28. ■•The: Eotl ■ : iriifaiijterJv'di'Eid ■'at},OieHunga3this 'indrning. : ■ : j ;ij.Th^ ; born at;Wakaio,' Ot»go,iwhere, his father., was;, ; for Diaay v nearly ihirty "years'' of.': age 'when, ho.'joined tho'ministoSthe: 'Nelson cirotit;: J .liate,rv6nvin''hi3 miilistorfal career. •'hbVwas'stationed <for term : at- Nelson,.. , ■dtfdvhis". other Jlpfrbaits; 'were ton,,-NeV!:'.Plymouth,- iLyttelton, ■• Manukau,, Wai'He 't^aijl^r;'sdme--time : iirihcipal! bf - :Mcyand,?ahd/hi3 second : ivile, 'whb^ : 'survives hus^ band.'had the; college.' . ,lii. jIBB9--?irr'.> i - Watkiiis: Sras, ;Presideht ."of-;r.the '. .fii4' ; 2yheon;.i'a • /"living':•'' at Oriehunga, 1 ..- since;-:189l. .- He; . was r ;'held ; iin . high ostectn withm and .boyond the Mothoai;- - .Church;.-His-brother ,is,.the ltev: J.r.Watkins, iheiul'-'of; the. Tonga Freo. Church," and! a .trusted iCipg George. ; VAnXjnterestiiig; : le.tter:' ; l)y :: tho. lato-Mr. Watkins, 'which' recalls.-the; early.-days' of Wellington'settlement, -was sent' to' Mrs. Kinniburg, ;of this city,;'ori.[tho.occasion, of her .91st -Birthday, :,]n ; ,;Augusl,' of. /-last 'year.,:; Mr. Watkins .wrofo' as. follows:—. i•f/' s ';V :areVone .'of , •t.Ue:'bldes^'inhabitarits' , of -Wellington; i It's ■ i v/.loiig, v :iook. ■back fto'/-the -day l '' when -the- 1 V: ©sb'fge'JPifeanchored -.'in::- Port'' Nicholson,' yoii,-' with '.yonr 'good husbahd, ; iboked'," ':;at-:.th6''.'hill3'-that. rose./b'ehind -the site'of -'•Hie : jittle : that'h'aa : .;bec6me'.a-.croTr3ed • Then- you'.wont- ashore,-, and- you ...be- • a~sbtUorV- and: I question : if -there:.a're.:. >- : leftthalf-a^core';;who:'Cah'.recall" that-early. • -yoar—l342. ''printer -Tom- M'Kenzie ; still '■> ; -survives,"'. ahd can go a -little further 1 back . ' "in/ colonial -history, than you. Wars/and . -Tumour'sr'of ,'war.' have disturbed the long . '."interval. *' Accompany of .' soldiers ;of ' tho ■ ■ 3Cth Ecgiment' (Captain Eaton, Lieutenant . and-'little'EnsignvCerrantcs .were the '." (ifficcrs)'vwas-.sent, down from', Sydney soon - after your arrival.' It .'was in '1845 that I'first'saw Wellington. . Ton wero living 1 hear facing Manners' • Street—Jturch "the baker,, not: far , away j - . Houghton's 'and' Crowther's. in Willis ■ Street; ■ and Wilkinson's and. Fishor's , a •'•.'.•little fuyther up., -We .boys>of .Einnepjore's .- ;' "ficJibol (ised to'pass your, floor three.or four. •" limes:- a '.day. .■. ..'J-he, scripturo is true, '•' which saysr'One -generation passeth' away, '■•"'l'litid 'another, generation cometh. ; There '"-•"Vonld-'bd -h>om enongh in this round world , . ' if'all-lived' to- three', score.- and '.ten,. but'.the '■"•'rtaioriV 'db;.hot .live' out- halfv.their. days ili«ps«ii,'.' accident, war,. account for a w?l'iirge :,wJio learo 'the state .of life."